Controlling appetite

I am unable to control my appetite. I have tried tea, fiber, etc…When I wake up in the morning I am sooo hungry I feel like if I don't eat I am going to throw up. I feel like this off and on throughout the day. My readings are in the 200s and 300s. I am not sure what is causing this. I eat throughout the day and will power will just not cut it. I have told my doctor and she looks at me as if I am strange or a weekling. I actually get a sensation of being sooo hungry that if I do not eat I start having dry heaves. What is this and why can't I get rid of it?

29 replies

Most of the hunger issues arise from not incorporating enough good fat into your eating habits. We have been conditioned to regard fat as bad, but fat will make us feel full. Also, try eating a lot of small meals (it is referred to as grazing) and it will keep your BG on a level basis and also help avoid hunger. A lot of the time we eat a big meal and then the rebound effect kicks in shortly after and we are hungry.

I am encountering a change of wanting to eat, as my pneumonia is slowly responding to my antibiotics, my appetite is now increasing, I had lost 5 # last week as I just was NOT hungry! Well, I KNEW that that would NOT last, and sure enough, today I started getting those little desires to "eat something!" So I tried just a few bites of sensible food, and with my tummy still shrunk up a bit, it was satisfying,, for about 2 hours, ate a few more bites, not the whole salad—-and again, it was enough. Now I no longer feel like a COW GRAZING, just a small calf, and know that it is OK

I have been trying Skip's suggesions too, and I think that they are working for me also! It seems just a few bites, here and there, keep me satisfied and after I got over the feeling of having to eat 3 big meals a day, it is easier! And leaves me feeling like I am still in control of myself! and more importantly, NOT DEPRIVING MYSELF! I am now making healthier CHOICES, because I CHOOSE TO!! PR

I am totally opposite,i really don't know what to do. or i should say doing wrong. i am not a morning person, i start my breakfast at around 2pm,i cannot eat early, even if i am up at 6am, i do not snack, i drink a lot of water,but at 8pm i am hungry and can eat a camel, lol. it's true.that's how hungry i get, yes and it's nuts time.i do need help. any ideas? thank you all for the info and encouragement.

You MUST try and get yourself to eat on a regular basis if you want to keep your blood glucose in check. Even if is just a spoon or two of something at least you are not binging. You will find that over the course of time you will stop the late night eating. Good Luck.

I also experience episodes of hunger.My struggle is after diner. I can eat more calories after 8pm than I do all day. I ofter refer to myself as a CARBO-COLIC.I have noticed recently that I don't eat as much after diner when my b.s. are normal or close to normal.When my b.s. is high I can eat continuously and what I eat are typically CARBS.So I'm trying to keep myb.s. as close to normal as I can. Also Try the suggestions given above as I found them beneficial. Keep trying.Good Luck. Pete

You all, I found or made the best treat. It helps the cravings for something sweet and it is yummy. Soak some strawberries in a little balsamic vinegar(it is sweet) and mix it into the low fat cool whip. It is the best when you want ice cream. I just love it.

I too was always hungry it seemed, but there were actually a couple of things that have helped me.

Drink, drink, drink...a lot of times our bodies are thirsty, but we think it is hunger. So if you drink something frist, like tea or water...then wait and see what your tummys says after about 15 minutes.

The other thing that helped me a lot was eating foods that had nutrients in them. I don't eat much processed foods any more. Those have empty calories and my body says it needs more nutrition, not more food. Once I started eating much more whole foods or natural foods, I found my cravings were less. I still have my moments, but this has helped me a lot. Eating a lot more fresh veggies and more whole fruits (though you have to be careful with fruits) But that keeps me full much better.

I was advised to not cut my portions at first, but to get rid of the bad things in my portions. Once I was used to eating healthier foods, I found I naturally eat less. It's not fool proof, but it made a huge differnce in my weight loss and my numbers coming down.

The other thing is if I keep the things I should not eat out of the house, then when I get that starving feeling...at least I don't eat a bunch of bad stuff that is going to freak out my numbers.

The trick to curbing hunger is FAT. Fat is filling. It has been given a bad reputation. I use coconut oil to cook with. I eat butter. I buy fatty cuts of meat and eat it all. My cholesterol level is 167. BP is 110 over 70. Triglicerides are 37.

I was always hunger too until I got my numbers in control. My doctor explained it simply this way. When I was high numbers and eating lots of carbs, my body was feeding on them so it always wanted more. that explained the hunger all the time. when I started getting more control that feeling started going away. One thing that helped me was eating small meals 4-5 times a day. so you are not trying to go several hours without eating. They can be a simple as an apple and piece of string cheese for one meal. Or I love the Laughing Cow cheese with 6 Triscuits. Also have some low carb soup. I love veggies so sometimes I just have some broccoli with lemon. And if I eat oatmeal in the mornings it fills me up for longer and I do not get hungry. If you like tuna, have some tuna on spinach with a little low fat dressing with a few Triscuits. Those are my little meals. I tend to eat a bigger meal at night than during the day. But most of being diabetic is controlled by finding what works for you. alot of trial and error and finding the right meds that work in conjunction with what you are eating. I hope some of this helped and maybe gave you some meal ideas.

I agree with others. Get your blood sugar under control and you should see the hunger go away. However, what does a typical days worth of food look like for you? Breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks. List everything and the amounts.

My sugars are a little more in control than what they were. I still get the highs and hunger. I'll eat what is the easiest to get to. I don't care how many carbs i'm eating. I just want something to eat. The worst is in the morning when my sugars are high.

Diane , Why does your sugars tend to be high in the mornings? Thats when mine seem to be low or normal. Do you take anything before bedtime? I can't see you eating much before you go to bed, your so small. I mainly have a dry mouth in the morning due to one of my medications. Maybe a medicine is making your BG high in the AM.

Please don't think that I am making light of what you have written about. I do not mean that at all. I found out that I had diabetes in 2001. I am now 58 years old and from the time I was a little girl I've always had a giant appetite. So, I know what you mean about being hungry. Some of the meds that I take make me feel the same way you do in the morning. Until I eat, I actually feel sick.

This is a question you might want to discuss in length with your doctor. I did. We found out my meds were causing the morning problem. He sent me to a dietician who gave me a list of foods to eat that kept my hunger at bay for longer periods and made the sickness better. Maybe the same thing will work for you.

The high sugar count needs to be taken care of and your doctor can help you there also and the dietician can work with both you and your doctor.

Hi AM, I have the same Hunger, you are talking about, in fact I also wrote about this Hunger. I t did not feel Normal. I would eat a meal and then 30 min. I would be so hungery I would shove anything in my mouth and this would go on all day and night. My Blood sugars were running 300 to 500. The Doctor I went to finally answered the Question, why I was so Hungry. When your Blood Sugars are highyou are not getting the food in your cell, and you are starving your cells, and you have that horrible Hunger. I amnow controlling by Blood Sugar with theright amount of insulin twice aday. I donot have that Hunger again. I feel for you because I have there and did not knowwhat was happening to me. Bless you,Your Doctor needs to look this problem up to help you.(((Hug))) Nancy

I too agree with Nancy. At one point in my life I was thinking something was wrong with me. Why am I always hungry? I was due to my BG being sky high. I told control and had to check my Blood sugar twice as many times and the control was strick. Some times because you take your dose of medication, it might not be the right dose for you. I would start writing down everything and your BG along side. Yiur medications might need to be adjusted, but that is for your MD to decide. If your eating good meals and doing fine thats great. But if your sticking a lot of carbs in your menu that could make a big difference. Keep a journal for 2 weeks . You may be able to figure this out on your own. If you do see where the problem is discuss it with your MD. He will make a suggestion on what you should do next…Debe